What is the most interesting word you know?

Question

This can be from the perspective of spelling, origin, meaning, whatever. What gets your attention and why?

Answer 1

Lucullan--lavish, extravagant.
Lucullan is usually used to refer to a lucullan feast.

Lucullus was a Roman statesman and a friend of Cicero's who
lived about 100 BC. When he left public service he spent his time drinking and throwing lavish parties; lucullan orgies to be sure.
When his servant asked how many places to set at the dinner
table one night Lucullus was heard to reply,
"Just one. Tonight, Lucullus will dine with Lucullus."

Answer 2

isocracy

I would like to know if more people had this word in their vocabulary, would such a system of equal government be easier to establish and to practice in real life. Currently most people I have met either never heard of the word, don't believe it is possible, or express shock that the Greeks had a term for this!

I believe just researching or setting up a model state to study the process by which "isocracy" can be established and maintained would revolutionize current standards of politics, law and ethics.

http://www.houstonprogressive.org/isocracy.html

Answer 3

hendecasyllabic (hen-dek-uh-si-LAB-ik) adjective
Having eleven syllables.
noun
A word or line of eleven syllables.

"Hendecasyllabics"
by Tennyson
O you chorus of indolent reviewers,
Irresponsible, indolent reviewers,
Look, I come to the test, a tiny poem
All composed in a metre of Catullus
All in quantity, careful of my motion,
Like a skater on ice that hardly bears him,
Lest I fall unawares before the people,
Waking laughter in indolent reviewers.
Should I flounder awhile without a tumble
Through this metrification of Catullus,
They should speak to me not without a welcome,
All that chorus of indolent reviewers.
Hard, hard, hard is it, only not to tumble,
So fantastical is the dainty metre.
Wherefore slight me not wholly, nor believe me
Too presumptuous, indolent reviewers.
O blatant Magazines, regard me rather --
Since I blush to belaud myself a moment --
As some rare little rose, a piece of inmost
Horticultural art, or half coquette-like
Maiden, not to be greeted unbenignly.
Most people know 1-10 and the other number prefixes 11 isnt paid much attention to. I like to pay attention to things other people dont:-)

Answer 4

Coagulate. It's just a fun word to say. Too bad it doesn't have much application for use in everyday conversation, but that may also help contribute to the fun of saying it.

Answer 5

pnuemonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
It's the longest word in the english language and is a medical condition due to volcanic ash in the lungs.

Answer 6

I love "impropriety" for the way it rolls off the tongue.
"pusillanimous" for the reaction it gets
"hysterical" for it's cheeky reference to PMS
"ostensible" for the entire paradigm of thought it opens up
and "sophistry" and "sophisticated" for their shared root but contradictory implications.

Answer 7

don't its the answer to ANYTHING!(with added words occasionally)45*9=DON'T even try
will you cry?DON'T
mark has 5 apples and he eats 1 how many does he have left?DON'T care

Answer 8

Dejavu. Wait, I think I already answered this question.

Answer 9

integrity this catches my interest so much becasue our society says that they have integrity adn they know what it is when no one even stops to think about how to define it. 69% of Americans say they know what integrity is but they really dont and they do not follow an integral life.

Answer 10

irrelevent - because almost everything we worry about is, in the grand scheme of life